Role

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Composer  

Birth

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1935 in Vilafranca del Penedès

Period

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Contemporary

Genre

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Chamber

 

 

Keyboard

 

Josep Soler i Sardà was a Spanish composer born on March 25, 1935, in Vilanova i la Geltrú, a town near Barcelona. He was the youngest of four siblings, and his father was a music lover who played the piano and the violin. Soler's interest in music began at an early age, and he started taking piano lessons when he was six years old. Soler's family moved to Barcelona when he was ten, and he continued his music studies at the Municipal Conservatory of Music. He studied piano, harmony, counterpoint, and composition with some of the most prominent teachers of the time, including Joan Massià, Joaquim Zamacois, and Cristòfor Taltabull. In 1954, Soler entered the Barcelona Conservatory of Music, where he studied composition with Manuel Blancafort and piano with Rosa Sabater. He graduated in 1958 with a degree in composition and piano performance. After completing his studies, Soler began his career as a composer, pianist, and music teacher. He taught at several music schools in Barcelona, including the Municipal Conservatory of Music, the Liceu Conservatory, and the Catalonia College of Music. Soler's music is characterized by its complexity, originality, and depth. He was influenced by a wide range of composers, including Bach, Beethoven, Schumann, Debussy, Bartók, and Messiaen. His works are often based on mathematical and geometric principles, and he was particularly interested in the relationship between music and architecture. Soler's early works were influenced by the neoclassical style, but he soon developed his own unique voice. His music is often characterized by its use of dissonance, complex rhythms, and unconventional forms. He was also interested in exploring the possibilities of electronic music, and he composed several works for tape and live electronics. One of Soler's most significant works is his opera "Oedipus," which he composed in 1967. The opera is based on the Greek tragedy by Sophocles and is considered one of the most important works of Spanish opera of the 20th century. The opera was premiered in 1971 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and was later performed in several other countries. Soler's other notable works include his "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" (1962), "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra" (1964), "Concerto for Cello and Orchestra" (1965), and "Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra" (1970). He also composed several chamber music works, including his "String Quartet No. 1" (1960) and "String Quartet No. 2" (1962). In addition to his work as a composer, Soler was also a respected musicologist and wrote several books on music theory and history. He was particularly interested in the music of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance and was a leading expert on the music of the Catalan composer Joan Pau Pujol. Soler received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the National Music Prize of Catalonia in 1997 and the Gold Medal for Fine Arts from the Spanish government in 2011. He was also a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Sant Jordi and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Barcelona. Josep Soler died on December 6, 2019, in Barcelona at the age of 84. He left behind a significant body of work that continues to be performed and admired by musicians and music lovers around the world.

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